CIC approves new director

Robin Rogers is sure she can bridge downtown's government and business worlds.
By ROGER G. SMITH
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A mix of technical and government experience is why Robin Rogers is the downtown redevelopment agency's new executive director.
Wednesday, the executive committee of the Youngstown Central Area Community Improvement Corp. approved her hiring.
Rogers, 42, of Hudson, starts Monday. She was the regional project director for BP Research Corp. in Warrensville Heights the past five years. The job included responsibility for all of the company's construction projects in the region.
She also has spent 15 years at Envirotech in Cleveland, the city agency that handles environmental issues. She was the director of administration.
Her business, environmental, administrative and government experience combines to give CIC the background the agency needs, said Reid Dulberger, executive vice president of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce. The chamber has a contract with CIC to operate the agency's office and hires the director. She is a chamber employee, and her salary isn't disclosed.
Duties: CIC's director must work with the agency's board, city council and the administration, and the chamber, Dulberger said. Past directors have talked about the difficulty in navigating that setup. Dulberger acknowledged that the diplomacy end of the job is one that needs work.
"We may not have been as good at that as we should," he said.
Rogers replaces Alden Chevlen, a Columbus lawyer with substantial real estate experience who was hired in March 2000.
Chevlen and Gemma Sole, CIC project manager, were asked to resign by the chamber in July. Chevlen said the chamber told him during a job performance review that he wasn't performing to expectations. The chamber said it wouldn't talk about an internal personnel matter.
Chevlen replaced William W. Cushwa Jr., who resigned in October 1999 to pursue other business development opportunities.
The chamber still expects the CIC director to manage and develop the agency's properties, draw more arts and entertainment and create better links with Youngstown State University, Dulberger said.
Confidence: Rogers is sure she can bridge the tricky downtown government and business worlds.
CIC has limited funds to carry out its five-year plan, which includes saving a few dilapidated buildings and demolishing the rest. Rogers is confident there are ways to move ahead anyway, although she said she can't be specific until she is more familiar with the agency.
"Keep all options open. It will get done," she said. "I see a different skyline."